President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced earlier this week they are working on legislation to require airlines to compensate for more than just a ticket after a flight delay or cancellation.
The new bill would require airlines to pay for meals, hotels, or transportation alongside reimbursement for flights or travel vouchers if there is a significant disruption inside of the airlines’ control.
The actions were partially spurred by the delays this past holiday season that saw Southwest cancel more than 5,400 flights over 48 hours, leaving many stranded at the airport for days.
The cause was technical and staffing issues, which would be the focus of the legislation, not factors outside of the airlines’ control like weather.
The Biden Administration has already taken several actions to make travel more transparent including an expansion to the FlightRights.gov dashboard that shows what additional compensation each airline offers.
Only Alaska Airlines and JetBlue offer additional credits and vouchers when a passenger has to wait three or more hours for their flight.
There is also an upcoming new rule that would require airlines to show the total cost of a flight, including additional charges for bags or preselecting a seat, at the time of booking.
Furthermore, the Department of Transportation also issued a notice to airlines to ensure young children are seated with their accompanying adults at no additional cost.
Learn more about the upcoming compensation plan from the Biden Administration below:
Featured image from Alaska Airlines
